Tton mechanical



(No Model.) 7

- H. J. MOORE.

COMBINED WEIGHT AND ENVELOPE SEALER.

Patented Apr. 5, 1887.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOMER J. MOORE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIC-NOR TO THE BRYANT & STRATTONMECHANICAL APPLIANCE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

COMBINED WEIGHT AND ENVELOPE-SEALER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 360,458, dated April 5,1887.

A pplicaiion filed August 23, 1886. Serial No. 211,059.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HOMER J. Moonn, residing at No. 209 WashingtonBoulevard,in the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, and a citizen of the United States, have invented new anduseful Improvements in a Device for a Combination Paper- XVeight andEnvelope-Sealer; and I do hereby declare the following to be a clear andexact description of the nature thereof, sufficient to enable others tofully understand, make, and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which Figure1 is a perspective view of the device as it appears when partly filledwith water and ready for operation. section on the line 00 x of Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the device with the upper plate or coverturned upon the screw as a pivot. Fig. 4: is a cross-section on thelineg y of Fig. 1, the section extending only partially down the side ofthe device.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures.

This invention relates to devices which act as a combinationpaper-weight and envelopesealer, having for its object the convenienceof a paperweight combined with a device for nioistening the guinmed flapof envelopes; and it consists, essentially, of a closed hollow inetallicbox partially filled with water and having a piece of woven fabric oranalogous material protruding from one side, the other end of the samebeing in the water on the inside of the box, the latter being providedwith a groove in the upper edge of three of its perpendicular sides, inwhich is fastened, by glue or other adhesive material, a string or otherabsorbing substance, which, when the close fitting cover is fastened on,renders the device water-tight.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the hollow box partially filledwith water F.

E is a metallic cylindrical upright rising from the bottom of the box A,and into which the screw D passes, holding the close-fitting cover 13,upon which screwD the cover 13 turns when force is applied.

C represents the cloth or woven fabric, and

Fig. 2 is a cross (No model.)

its lower part lies loosely in the water F, while its upper partprojects from the box A. This projecting part of the woven fabric 0 iswet by capillary attraction,and remains constantly moist as long as thebox A contains any water F. The box A is provided on the upper surfaceof three of its sides with a groove, in which groove is laid or gluedthe string K. The cover 13, when fastened by the screw D, fits soclosely upon the string K and woven fabric C as to render the devicewater-tight, and hence there is no possibity of the water escaping fromthe hollow interior of the box A, even when it is inverted, thusaffording a convenient paper-weight.

To seal an envelope, the gumined flap of the envelope, which has alreadybeen bent back when the letter was inserted, is rubbed loosely by amotion of thehanddrawing the envelope toward the operator-*against themoistened projecting part of the woven fabric C, the device having beenturned so that the woven fabric C is farthest from the operator, and bya reverse motion is pressed down upon the top of the cover B, whence, byexerting pressure by the hand or fingers upon the face of the envelope,the guinnied flap, having already been nioistened by its contact withthe moistened fabric C, is caused to adhere to the back of the envelope,thus sealing the envelone.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, isy l. A device for nioistcning the gumniedsurface of an envelope-flap, comprising a receptaclc or box, A, with theupper surface of three of its perpendicular sides grooved and containinga string. K, for holding water F, in combination with a strip of wovenfabric or analogous material, C, partly within and partly without thereceptacle or box A,whereby when theinternalportionisimmersedinwater theexternal portion will be maintained in a moist condition by capillaryattraction, substantially as described.

2. A device for moistening the gumined surface of an envelope-flap,comprising a recept-acle or box, A, with the upper surface of three ofits sides grooved and containing a string, K, for holding Water F,provided with a closefitting cover, B, in combination with a strip ofwoven fabric or analogous material, 0, Within the receptacle or box A,and having a portion emerging therefrom, substantially as set forth.

3. A combined water-tight paper-weight and moistening device forenvelopes, consisting of v the box or receptacle A, with the uppersurface of three of its sides grooved and containing a string, K, forcontaining water F, provided with the close-fitting cover B, incombination with the strip of woven fabric or analogous material 0within the box A, and emerging therefrom between the body of the box A I5 and the close-fitting cover B, substantially as set forth.

Subscribed to on this 16th day of August 1886.

HOMER J. MOORE.

Witnesses:

JAMES A. HARPI-IAM,

H. W. BRYANT.

